The objective of the proposed IRACDA Scholars in Science (ISIS) program is to attract greater numbers of postdoctoral scholars from underrepresented populations to the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and prepare them to be competitive for, and obtain, faculty positions in excellent academic institutions. This program links UCSF as the research-extensive campus with San Francisco State University (SFSU) as the minority-serving institution (MSI) in a consortium. The ISIS Program will address serious barriers to the progression of these postdoctoral scholars to academic positions in their chosen fields and will prepare them for success as academic researchers. The UCSF-SFSU consortium has four specific aims: 1) Create an extensive mentored research experience at UCSF so that IRACDA postdoctoral fellows conduct cutting-edge biomedical and behavioral research and publish in high quality journals. 2) Create an intensive mentored teaching experience at SFSU so that IRACDA postdoctoral fellows will enrich the SFSU curriculum with contemporary research experiences in biomedical and behavioral research;refine their teaching skills;serve as role models for undergraduates at SFSU;and give SFSU students the opportunity to receive research-related instruction. 3) Create career-enhancing opportunities to prepare the IRACDA Scholars to win an academic position, write successful grants, and manage a research laboratory in an inclusive and ethical manner. 4) Evaluate the ISIS program in order to plan effective future efforts. The UCSF-SFSU consortium will augment its program through an informal alliance with the UC Davis Northern California IRACDA Partnership (NCIP), which will mutually benefit both ISIS and NCIP Scholar cohorts, will conserve funds, and permit the two IRACDA programs to accomplish more than either could separately. Joint activities of this informal alliance between the ISIS and the NCIP Programs will include: recruitment;research events;teaching;career development;seminar programs for prospective recruitment of IRACDA Scholars to academic positions;and the evaluation of combined data. Recruitment of IRACDA scholars and participation in the Prospective Faculty seminar program will also involve the UC San Diego IRACDA Program, headed by Laurence L. Brunton PhD, Program Director. The ISIS program will help create a cadre of postdoctoral scholars who are highly competitive for academic positions. They will be more reflective of the make-up of the general U.S. population and better able to address public health issues through their research, and educate the future leaders of this diverse country.